'Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn': Who is Rev Al Sharpton, the activist behind the Bensonhurst protests?
Reverend Al Sharpton is an internationally renowned civil rights leader and minister. An active and popular figure in the African-American community, he was at the forefront of several controversial protests that gained wide coverage in the national media and even organized confrontations with police. Former President Barack Obama deemed him the "champion for the downtrodden" for his activism. A disciple of the teachings of Dr Martin Luther King Jr, Sharpton also led the protests in New York's Bensonhurst neighborhood after Yusuf Hawking, a Black teenager was murdered by a White mob in 1989. He is featured in HBO's new documentary 'Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn', directed by Muta’Ali.
Sharpton began preaching at the age of four and was ordained Pentecostal minister at 10 years old. Sharpton has always been an outspoken political activist in the fight against racial prejudice and injustice and spent nearly his whole adult life in the spotlight, and was subject to both praise and condemnation. He developed his oratory skills as a young child and traveled to deliver sermons, even touring with Mahalia Jackson, the famed gospel singer. In 1971, he established the National Youth Movement that promoted social and economic justice for African-Americans.
Sharpton gained national recognition for his role in the Tawana Brawley case, where a Black teenager claimed she had been assaulted and raped by six white men, some of them police officers. Sharpton became one of her most vocal defenders and went as far as to making outlandish and controversial accusations. The jury declined to indict anyone of a crime, after determining that Brawley's claims had been a hoax. Nevertheless, the case had aggravated and Sharpton came under scrutiny and was criticized for his involvement.
In his years of activism, he has championed police reform and accountability, urging for the elimination of discriminatory policies like 'Stop and Frisk'. He has actively fought for the right to vote, equality in education, healthcare, and LGBTQ+ rights, denouncing homophobia. In addition, he has advocated for victims of racial injustice including Michael Stewart, Amadou Diallo, Abner Louima, Sean Bell, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Eric Garner. He also toured with singer-songwriter James Brown in the 1970s, who he had a close relationship with. This was how he met his second wife, Kathy Jordan, who was Brown's backup singer.
Sharpton is well-known and respected for his dedication to non-violence. He rendered his unflinching support to the five black defendants in the infamous Central Park Five case, where a white female jogger was raped and beaten in 1990. The defendants were initially found guilty but acquitted of their charges in 2002 when another man confessed to the crime and DNA evidence supported his claim. In 1991, after being stabbed in the chest while leading a march against the verdict in the murder case of Yusuf Hawkins, he asked the judge leniency for the man who stabbed him. That same year, he formed the National Action Network, a civil rights organization that champions progressive policies, one of which is the affirmative action and reparations for African-Americans for the enslavement of their ancestors.
In the 1990s, Sharpton entered the political arena where his critics and supporters watched him unsuccessfully run for Senate, mayor of New York and presidential candidacy. He has been entangled in several charges of tax evasion and a defamation lawsuit. In 2003, he hosted an episode of NBC's Saturday Night Live, and addressed the Democratic National Convention in Boston Massachusetts, in 2004. He spoke at the funeral of civil rights activist Rosa Parks in 2005 and delivered the eulogy at Michael Jackson's funeral in 2009. He also spoke at the funeral of Aretha Franklin in 2018, and George Floyd, who died in May 2020 in police custody.
Known for his dramatic flair that draws popularity and media attention to his causes, Sharpton has hosted his own MSNBC show, 'PoliticsNation' since 2011. He is also a radio host for the nationally syndicated show 'Keepin' it Real', and a national broadcast radio show on Sunday titled 'The Hour of Power'. Sharpton is the author of three books, a frequent lecturer on civil rights and political issues, having lent his expertise to several corporate diversity councils at conglomerates like Pepsi, Walmart and Charter Communications.
Even today, Sharpton remains a profound political and social activist with supporters and critics alike and is a popular figure in the media. In June 2020, Sharpton also announced that he would organize a March on Washington in late August in commemoration of the historic demonstration for civil rights amid the George Floyd protests current sweeping the nation. He is also the recipient of various awards including, the Harold Washington Award from the Congressional Black Caucus. He received the 'Mandela Legacy Hope, Success & Empowerment Award' for his role and achievements in advancing civil rights causes around the world. In 2017, he earned the James Joyce Award from the Literary and Historical Society of the University College in Dublin, Ireland.
‘Yusuf Hawkins: Storm over Brooklyn’ aired on August 12 at 9/8c on HBO and will be available to stream on-demand, on August 13.